Vincentians Gather in Seattle for the Western Region Meeting

More than 200 Vincentians, Council leaders, and representatives from the national SVdP office gathered from April 30th to May 2nd at the Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center for the SVdP West Region Annual Meeting.

The gathering opened with a keynote address by John Berry, the SVdP National President, who encouraged members to continue strengthening servant leadership rooted in love, charity grounded in justice, and delivering hope for neighbors in need. Throughout the meeting, participants attended sessions on conference vitality and good governance, donor management, intercultural competency and communication, membership development, and advocacy.

Special thanks to Council Vincentians Maxine Martin, Marc Snedden, Maria Hernández, and youth Vincentian Alex Moynihan for serving on a session panel on Youth, Young Adult, and Emerging Leaders. Blake Stellar moderated the panel. Mirya Muñoz-Roach and Ned Delmore also presented a session on the Spirituality of the Home Visit.

On Friday night our Council hosted a special Host City Night celebrating the region’s cultural diversity through performances by Hispanic and Vietnamese children and youth groups. The evening highlighted unity, fellowship, and the vibrant multicultural spirit of the Vincentian community.

The meeting concluded with Mass celebrated by Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, who called on Vincentians to continue to ground their service in God’s mercy and carry that commitment into action—serving neighbors with urgency, compassion, and faith through their local Conferences and Councils.